2BE (Sydney)

2BE was Sydney's and Australia's first officially recognised commercial radio station,[1] commencing broadcasting on 7 November 1924.[2] It broadcast on the medium wave band at 870 kHz, with a power of 100 watts.[3]

Background

The station was owned and operated by the Burgin Electric Company, owned by Rowley Burgin, and 2BE was managed Oswald Francis (Ossie) Mingay.[4][5][3]

2BE held a Radio Dance Night on 23 December 1925, in aid of cancer research. On 3 March 1927 the station broadcast from the Radio and Electrical Exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall.[3]

In 1927, 2BE was off the air for a few months on account of a fire.[3]

The station only broadcast on two days per week, for at least the first two years.[5] It closed exactly five years after opening, on 6 November 1929.[6][3]

After Closure

On 30 November 1937, the 2BE call-sign was re-allocated to 2BE Bega, New South Wales, which now broadcasts as 2EC.

2BE's 870 kHz wavelength was allocated to another Sydney station, 2GB.

gollark: You should probably keep the actual reason listed.
gollark: Maybe add a `press any key to reboot` feature.
gollark: Ah, a BSOD but red, nice.
gollark: Though I'll happily accept items sold to me manually at slightly below-market prices.EDIT: Will buy:* Iron at 0.5KST/i* Gold at 1.5KST/i
gollark: I can't really be bothered to spend ages programming it.

See also

References
  1. Some radio historians dispute that 2BE was the first commercial station, giving the title to 2CM
  2. R R Walker, The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1973
  3. Carty, Bruce, On the Air: Australian Radio History, privately published, 2011, Gosford, N.S.W.
  4. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mingay-oswald-francis-ossie-11135
  5. Griffen-Foley, Bridget, Changing Stations: The Story of Australian Commercial Radio, UNSW Press, 2009, Sydney
  6. Walker, R.R., The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia, 1973, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne
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